Design Crush: Furniture with Fabric Texture

By Kate Riley • May 15, 2013

A few years ago I toured some local model homes and spied a beautiful media cabinet in a townhome with inset grasscloth panels – yum! Since then I’ve been a fan of pieces of furniture that incorporate fabric or organic texture into the design, be it linen or grasscloth or burlap, and even animal skin.

I see a lot of high end furniture with fabric texture out in the marketplace and my mind is always clicking into the “bet you could DIY for less” mode. I absolutely love this Bretton Console from Jayson Home by at $950 it’s pricey. To create the look for less, combine this $69 Parsons console with burlap and upholstery tacks and you could end up with a fabulous knock off.

23 comments

Love those inspiration pics. I’ve wanted to use a nailhead treatment & upcycle a piece of furniture and got a great idea from one of the pics you shared, thanks! I’ve also used fabric to remake a piece of furniture recently and the way I applied the fabric it can be easily changed so my fickle whims can go crazy { http://happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com/2012/07/25-foyer-makeover.html }

Hi, I am totally in love with these pieces. You’ve done a great job collecting them, Kate…wonderful. I myself was drooling over a upholstered chair on pinterest last week that has a line of nail heads at the bottom and it simply look wonderful to me Here’s the link: http://pinterest.com/pin/485825878523124972/ . I really loved the idea of adding solid fabric to a piece and adding nail heads in a design or a pattern to it. WOW!

Yes! Definitely crushing on fabric covered furniture and am plotting my own DIY. There is a tutorial on Martha Stewart’s site from her show where the linen is treated with a poly-acrylic finish after it’s attached to a table top. The finish alters the color, but protects it from dirt, etc.

Wow Shannon, thank you for that link, I hadn’t seen that tutorial but you’re right, using that technique would certainly add protection and how interesting that the technique dates back hundreds of years to old seafaring days!
Kate

Wow! The furniture featured here really looks very elegant especially covered with stylish fabric textures. It’s really pricey but has justifiable results. Also, I’ve checked some of the links in the post. Thanks for sharing! :-D

I love the look too, but I’m with Cassie, I’m kind of afraid of getting it dirty. Especially since I have a 2 year old running around. The grass cloth is something I’ve thought about doing after looking at some gorgeous MCM credenzas with grass cloth doors. Maybe some day I’ll give it a try!

Since reading your post about touring the model townhomes, I’ve been searching all over the internet to try and find the name of the hardwood floors in the 3rd townhome you visited- no luck so far. We are building a house and I would just LOVE to have those floors!! It was the home with the diagonal placement of the hardwood and soft creamy colors they used to decorate with. Would you be able to tell me the name of the builder so that I may contact them and ask about the floors?!

I love them Kate and they are definite show pieces for any home. My only worry would be the thing getting dirty! I hate seeing scratches or stains on furniture sometimes, but I think the look will definitely be worth the worry! Great suggestions too!

So I had no idea that I even liked fabric covered furniture but after this post I am in LOVE with it! I’ve already started thinking of all the places I can use it! Thank you so much for the inspiration Kate!

This looks great, especially in the first photo. I would also be afraid about getting them dirty, but if you do it yourself, you can always change the fabric. And it is definitely cheaper than to buy new furniture, when you decide to redecorate.

Hello, I'm Kate! I'm a renovator, decorator, and do-it-yourselfer who writes daily about great interior design and smart home improvement. Welcome to the place where I share my advice and adventures in decorating and DIY projects! Learn more.